I make it a rule to never ride at night after a good friend who became upset when I told him I bought a motorcycle told me a story about his dad.
My friend grew up riding motorcycles. His dad was into them in a big way, and everyone rode dirt bikes, while his dad also rode on the street. One night, on the way home from work on the freeway in L.A., my friend's dad hit a piece of road debris in the dark and wrecked, and was severely injured. He never recovered, lost his job due to his injuries, the family had money problems, his dad started drinking as a way of coping with the physical aftereffects of the injuries and the impact on his life, which then led to his parents getting divorced. A short time later, his dad committed suicide. Truly a tragic story.
I decided then that I'd never ride at night if I could help it, and if I couldn't I'd slow way down and be extra vigilant for road debris. I've only ridden at night once, when I was delayed, and was very careful for the final 30 minutes in the dark before home.
Motorcycling is all about accepting risk, and minimizing risk, and everyone has to decide where to draw the line. If riding at night really bothers you, I suggest you listen to your intuition and stop riding at night.
